Attributes of Giftedness

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The need to address the moral development of gifted children is essential in order for them to further develop and utilize their potential.


Please use care when linking your gifted students to the categories to avoid stereotypes and misconceptions.


Common Social and Emotional Traits of Gifted Students

Affective Trait

Behavioral Trait

Suggested Strategies

Divergent thinking

 The student may:
  • dislike working in groups
  • appear disorganized
  • appear absent-minded
  • have difficulty with goal setting
  • have difficulty with decision making
  • enjoy novelty
  • be prone to fantasy
  • be prone to nonconformity
 The teacher might:
  • create an atmosphere that encourages play
  • use instructional activities that focus on process over product
  • focus on strengths and weaknesses instead of "right" or "wrong"
  • establish mentorship(s) with someone with similar interests

Excitability

 The student may:
  • demonstrate a "high" need to explore
  • crave novelty
  • have difficulty completing projects
  • thrive on competition
  • be a stimulas-seeker or avoid stimulas
 The teacher might:
  • teach and practice relaxation techniques
  • teach and practice metacognitive strategies to reduce anxiety
  • organize tasks into chunks of time
  • promote intrinsic satisfaction from task completion
  • focus on improvement or personal improvement instead of winning
  • include journal writing and creative visualization to deal with feelings

Sensitivity

 The student may:
  • demonstrate strong passion about people/ideas
  • demonstrate increased compassion for others
  • demonstrate increased empathy for others
 The teacher might:
  • help students maintain appropriate interpersonal relationships
  • help students to separate their own feelings from the feelings of other people
  • aid in determining when to help others and when not to help other

Perceptiveness

 The student may:
  • demonstrate a need for truth
  • demonstrate strong feelings about honest, right/wrong
  • demonstrate a low tolerance for hypocritical behavior
  • demonstrate a low tolerance for the ordinary
 The teacher might:
  • aid in developing trust
  • aid in understanding the behavior of age-peers
  • study body language, metaphor, etc. to determine what people "really" mean
  • engage in role-playing or think-alouds about feelings
  • study and incorporate techniques such as witnessing from a distance and reporting observations, letter-writing, etc.
  • apply anthropological perspective(s) when studying others

Entelechy

 The student may:
  • be single-minded in pursuit of goals
  • be strong-willed
  • be independent
  • have a strong inner spirit
  • be highly responsible
  • be lonely
  • be taken for granted
 The teacher might:
  • recognize and utilize both the positive and negative aspects of being strong-willed
  • help students find "true" friendships
  • help students to determine which "battles" to fight
  • use pros and cons chart to determine possible outcomes
  • incorporate hypothetical situations to promote skill development in negotiation, problem solving, and empathy

Strategies for Counseling and Meeting the Social and Emotional Needs of Gifted Children

  • mini-lessons, one-on-one conferences, or group meetings with other G/T students to help them understand their abilities and feelings (i.e. feelings of difference, perfectionism, stress from high expectations, etc.)
  • academic programs, such as DestiNation ImagiNation, Math Penthalon, etc.
  • proactive strategies that address issues that may affect G/T students, such as decision-making, creative problem solving, understanding creativity, identifying personal goals, selecting careers, etc.
  • coping strategies (relaxation techniques, guided imagery, etc.)
  • role-playing, simulation, videotherapy, mentorships, journal writing, bibliotherapy, college and university workshops, and career guidance


Karnes, F. A., & Bean, S. M. (Eds.) (2009). Methods and materials for teaching the gifted and talented
(3rd ed.). Waco: Prufrock Press.